About

Jubal is the americana-folk coalescence of Taylor Kress & Bonnie Simmons based in Knoxville, Tennessee. With two voices and a guitar, Jubal works with simplicity to create an intricate and emotional sound.

Taylor and Bonnie both grew up in the Knoxville area and experimented with musical flavors throughout their youth. Bonnie, with a deep-seeded exposure to old-time, gospel, blues, and traditional folk of the region, and Taylor with an innate love for history, lyricism, and alternative sounds. Jubal showcases their contrasting influences and backgrounds with strong harmonies and varying writing styles. Their voices joined for the first time on 89.9 WDVX's Blue Plate Special in Knoxville, Tennessee, and their musical chemistry was obvious right from the start.

Their debut album, Bloodroot, was released in August 2015. The self-recorded album was tracked in a late 18th century cabin. It showcases their stripped-down, simplistic side and highlights their rich harmonies and songwriting style.

Jubal’s sophomore album will be released in the spring of 2017 and was recorded in Austin, TX. While Jubal’s second album will display higher quality recording and production, it will still embody the intimacy they were able to achieve with Bloodroot.

Jubal has been joined in recent performances by upright bass player Matt Nelson (formerly of Cereus Bright) and lead guitarist Eric Griffin (of Guy Marshall). These pieces have added another dimension to Jubal’s already unique brand of folk-americana. Elements of these additions will be present on Jubal’s upcoming release.

In addition to the Blue Plate Special, Jubal has performed on WDVX’s Tennessee Shines and Six O’Clock Swerve weekly radio series and was honored to be one of the first acts to perform at the new Knoxville venue Modern Studio. Jubal has had a full last year playing venues, breweries, and festivals in the region including Louie Bluie Festival, Mountain Makins Festival, Emory Place Block Party, Secret City Festival, and Vestival. Jubal plans to tour extensively in support of their second album and are excited to share their new music with the rest of the southeast region.